I would recommend scuba diving to everyone. If you haven't tried it - get out there! There are a multitude of places you can dive and a myriad of things to see, whether you are interested in wreck diving, or reef diving, you are unlikely to be disappointed by the underwater world. For your first time, you can either book yourself in to an approved open water diving course and go through the basics to get your divers certificate, or you can go on an accompanied dive with an instructor. If you do your open water certificate, you can dive with a buddy, wherever you please.
I did my first dive on the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland, and it has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life. It took me a few minutes to adjust to the technique for breathing underwater, but before panic set in I was distracted by the vibrant colours of the reef, and I was breathing naturally without thinking about it. I took an underwater camera with me, so I could have pictures to remember my dive, but no picture has been comparable with the real thing. If you are reef diving, you may be lucky enough to spot reef sharks, wrasse and a multitude of other tropical fish, as well as infinite varieties of coral. You can also go wreck diving, and explore around the sites of old shipwrecks, observing the different varieties of marine life. You can also try a night dive, and if you are in the right place at the right time, you may see phosphorescence emitted from tiny marine creatures.
Where to go and how much to pay:
You can try scuba diving all over the globe, so check out local scuba activities if you want to give it a go. New Zealand is one of many places around the world, where you can dive with dolphins or seals, you can find out more by going to scubadive.co.nz and Australia is renowned for its fantastic reefs, such as Ningaloo and the Great Barrier Reef. Other popular dive sites include Thailand and the Red Sea.
Thailand is good if you want to do a cheap open water course, which will cost you around one hundred pounds for four days. Prices for an open water course in Australia are only slightly higher than this, for a single dive in Australia you can expect to pay around $50 (AUS), prices in New Zealand are comparable to this.
For the more ambitious:
If you are visiting New Zealand and you have the nerve, you can don your scuba gear and feed the sharks. This involves being lowered in to the ocean in a cage, from which you dangle pieces of raw meat. Nearby sharks soon pick up the smell and you will find yourselves being surrounded by these savage creatures of the deep as they rip the bait from your hands!
